Digital buyer journeys
What digital buyer journeys means for buyers and exhibitors in this sector.
Event overview
Overview
The IHI Forum 2026 is a premier event for healthcare professionals, leaders, and advocates focused on quality improvement, patient safety, and health equity.
Taking place at the Phoenix Convention Center, this event will feature hundreds of sessions, inspiring keynotes, and opportunities for networking and collaboration.
With over 3,000 attendees expected from more than 55 countries, the Forum is a vital platform for sharing knowledge and driving meaningful change in healthcare.
TL;DR
- 1Dates and Venue: The IHI Forum 2026 takes place from December 6 to 9 at the Phoenix Convention Center, Phoenix, Arizona.
- 2Scale and Focus: This leading global event unites healthcare professionals to improve health and healthcare for all.
- 3Organiser: The event is organized by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, a leader in healthcare improvement.
- 4Buyer Authority: Attendees include healthcare leaders, professionals, and advocates focused on quality improvement.
- 5Entry: General conference fee is $1,395 with early bird discounts available until September 30, 2026.
Why visit
The IHI Forum is the annual convening of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, and it is built around a single practical question: how do care teams actually make health care safer, more equitable and more reliable? Attendees include healthcare leaders, professionals, and advocates focused on quality improvement.
Why exhibit
Exhibiting at the IHI Forum provides organizations with visibility among key decision-makers in healthcare. This leading global event unites healthcare professionals to improve health and healthcare for all. The event is organized by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, a leader in healthcare improvement. Attendees include healthcare leaders, professionals, and advocates focused on quality improvement.
Attendees, exhibitors & solutions
Who this event is for
Visitor profile
Typical attendee groups you can expect to meet.
Hospital and health system executives: chief executive, chief medical and chief nursing officers, chief quality officers
Quality improvement and performance improvement directors, managers and improvement advisors
Patient safety officers, risk managers and accreditation/compliance leads
Front-line clinical improvers: physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, pharmacists and allied health staff
Population health, health equity and community health programme leads
Clinical educators, residency and nursing school faculty, and health services researchers
Public health officials, payer quality teams and policy staff working on care delivery reform
Improvement coaches, consultants and facilitators supporting multi-site change programmes
Exhibitor profile
Main supplier and exhibitor segments present at the show.
Quality improvement consultancies and improvement coaching practices
Patient safety solution providers: incident reporting, root cause analysis and safety huddles software
Health IT and analytics vendors working on measurement, dashboards and EHR-based improvement
Clinical education, simulation and workforce development providers
Population health, care coordination and community referral platforms
Non-profit health organizations, foundations and professional associations with improvement programmes
Publishers and training bodies offering improvement science curricula and certification
Note: the captured listing confirms an IHI Forum schedule and a General Conference Fee, but does not publish an exhibitor prospectus, so confirm exhibit eligibility and space terms with IHI before planning a stand.
Product categories
Key solution areas showcased across the event.
Quality improvement methods and improvement coaching services
Patient safety programmes, reporting systems and safety culture tools
Measurement, analytics and improvement dashboards
Health equity and community health programme design
Workforce wellbeing, joy in work and burnout reduction programmes
Clinical education, simulation and interprofessional training
Care coordination, transitions of care and population health management
Accreditation, regulatory readiness and governance advisory services
Improvement science publishing, certification and learning collaboratives
Location & Facilities
Venue
Phoenix Convention Center
100 North Third Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004
Facilities
Parking
Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix typically provides on-site or adjacent visitor parking during major trade fairs; confirm daily rates, payment methods and hall access on the organiser or venue website before travel.
Food options
On-site catering
On-site diningParking: Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix typically provides on-site or adjacent visitor parking during major trade fairs; confirm daily rates, payment methods and hall access on the organiser or venue website before travel.
Gate: Follow organiser signage to the main visitor entrance at Phoenix Convention Center for badge collection; allow extra time for security screening during peak morning arrival.
Attend
Entry & tickets
General admission
General Conference Fee
1395
Intelligence
Market context
Key market insights, trends, news and related events to help you understand the bigger picture.
Phoenix, United States
Why it matters
On 2026-12-06 to 2026-12-09, IHI Forum 2026 in Phoenix gives medical buyers a single calendar window to compare suppliers, validate specs on the stand, and book follow-ups before the next buying cycle - especially when your roadmap matches the published exhibitor profile.
Industry trends
Key trends shaping this market and its wider industry.
Sustainability in procurement
What sustainability in procurement means for buyers and exhibitors in this sector.
Automation and labour efficiency
What automation and labour efficiency means for buyers and exhibitors in this sector.
Regional supply-chain resilience
What regional supply-chain resilience means for buyers and exhibitors in this sector.
Hybrid engagement models
What hybrid engagement models means for buyers and exhibitors in this sector.
Plan your trip
Travel & logistics
Local currency · USD
Arrival airports
Choose from the following airports, with convenient access to the event and venue.
Phoenix Sky Harbor
to venue
by car
Hotel tiers
A range of accommodation options near the venue and across key areas.
Downtown Phoenix - upper-upscale full-service hotel near the convention center
0.2-0.8 km (3-10 min walk) to venue
Approx. December midweek rate before taxes and destination fees; the most convenient option for session-to-session days. Confirm current rates and any conference block.
Downtown Phoenix - midscale business hotel
0.5-1.5 km (7-18 min walk) to venue
Approx. December rate before taxes. Good balance of walkability and price; breakfast is often included at this tier.
Sky Harbor airport area - select-service hotel
6-10 km (10-20 min by rideshare or shuttle) to venue
Approx. December rate before taxes. Cheap for the room, but budget approx. USD 15-30 per day for rideshare or airport-area parking.
Valley Metro Rail corridor - budget and economy hotels
2-6 km, reachable by light rail to venue
Approx. December rate before taxes. The lowest-cost practical stay if you are comfortable riding Valley Metro Rail in each morning.
Extended-stay and apartment-style units for teams
1-4 km from the venue to venue
Approx. December nightly rate for a studio or one-bedroom; useful for groups or longer stays. Confirm minimum-stay rules and cleaning fees.
Local transport
Get around the city with these convenient transport options.
airport train plus light rail
Estimated costApprox. USD 0.00 for the PHX Sky Train; approx. USD 2.00 single Valley Metro Rail fare on top
Best forPHX terminals to 44th Street station on the free PHX Sky Train, then Valley Metro Rail into downtown Phoenix
Cheapest reliable option to the convention center. Buy the rail fare by app or ticket machine at the station; confirm service hours, as late-evening frequency drops.
light rail
Estimated costApprox. USD 4.00 all-day pass (single ride around USD 2.00)
Best forValley Metro Rail, downtown Phoenix stations on Washington Street near the convention center
Useful for hotels along the corridor and for getting between downtown districts. The all-day pass pays for itself after two rides.
bus
Estimated costApprox. USD 2.00 single ride, exact change or mobile ticket
Best forValley Metro local bus routes serving downtown Phoenix and the convention center area
Slower than rail but useful for short hops outside the light rail line. Confirm the specific route and stop on the Valley Metro planner before travel.
taxi
Estimated costApprox. USD 20-30 metered fare plus tip, depending on traffic and terminal
Best forPhoenix Sky Harbor (PHX) to Phoenix Convention Center
Taxis wait at marked ranks outside each terminal. Allow 15-25 minutes outside peak traffic; more during weekday rush hour.
rideshare
Estimated costApprox. USD 15-28 for the standard ride tier, higher during surge pricing
Best forPhoenix Sky Harbor (PHX) to Phoenix Convention Center
Uber and Lyft both operate in Phoenix. Follow airport signage to the rideshare pickup zone after collecting bags.
walking
Estimated costNo fare
Best forDowntown Phoenix hotels to Phoenix Convention Center
The downtown grid is walkable and flat; most core hotels are a 5-15 minute walk from the convention center. December daytime temperatures are comfortable for walking.
parking
Estimated costApprox. USD 15-25 per day for event parking
Best forPhoenix Convention Center and downtown public garages
On-site and adjacent garages serve the convention center complex. Rates vary by garage and event day; confirm with the venue before driving in.
self-drive car rental
Estimated costApprox. USD 40-70 per day for a standard car, plus parking at approx. USD 15-25 per day
Best forPHX rental car center to downtown Phoenix
Only worth it if you are extending the trip beyond the conference; downtown Phoenix is compact and parking adds up.
Weather
Phoenix sits in the Sonoran Desert, so December is mild by day and cool at night, with very low humidity. Expect daytime highs around 18-20 C (65-68 F), overnight lows around 6-9 C (43-48 F), and rain on only a handful of days in a typical December. Session rooms are typically heavily air-conditioned, so a light layer is useful indoors even when it is warm outside. Sun is strong even in winter; carry water and use sun protection if you walk between hotels and the convention center.
Plan for the climate
Check temperatures and pack accordingly
Venue connectivity
Mobile coverage in central Phoenix is strong on the major US networks (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile), and 5G is widely available downtown. International visitors should arrange a travel eSIM or a local prepaid SIM before arrival, and check whether their home plan includes US roaming. The United States uses 120 V at 60 Hz with Type A and Type B plugs, so visitors from Europe or the UK need a plug adapter and, for some devices, a voltage converter. Venue Wi-Fi is usually available in public and session areas, but plan for congested networks at peak session times and download your schedule in advance.
Ride-hailing
Taxis
Public transit
Car rentals
Cultural notes
Useful information to help you have a smooth and respectful visit.
Business dress
Health care conference dress is typically business casual to business formal - a jacket for executives and presenters, smart casual for clinical and improvement staff. A light layer helps in strongly air-conditioned session rooms.
Tipping
Tipping is expected in the United States: around 15-20 percent in restaurants, a dollar or two per drink at a bar, and a few dollars for hotel housekeeping or luggage help. Rideshare and taxi apps usually prompt for a tip in-app.
Session etiquette
Sessions start on time and audiences ask direct questions. Arrive a few minutes early, silence phones, and use the Q&A slot rather than interrupting a presenter mid-talk.
Conversation style
Attendees are clinicians and improvers, so lead with the problem you are solving and the measures you use rather than a product pitch. Specificity is respected more than sales language.
Local setting
Phoenix is a car-oriented desert city with a walkable downtown core. English is the working language; Spanish is widely spoken. Hydration matters year-round, even in December.
Practical guides
Visitor & Exhibitor Essentials
Everything needed to arrive prepared, navigate the event, and make the visit productive.
Flights
Destination: PHX
Book into Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX), which is closest to the venue and has the widest route network; Phoenix-Mesa Gateway (AZA) only helps if a limited-carrier route exists from your city. December is peak holiday travel in the United States, so book six to ten weeks ahead, favour arriving the afternoon or evening before your first session, and avoid tight connections through weather-prone hubs. Fares in the sample bands for this listing are approximate and should be confirmed live; if you are flying long-haul, check baggage allowances and whether a single ticket covers the whole journey so a missed connection is protected.
Transport
Get to the venue and around the city with these options.
Airport → venue: Primary gateways: Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX). Allow road or rail time to Phoenix Convention Center; on-site parking is usually available at major exhibition venues.
Hotel → venue: Precinct hotels near Phoenix Convention Center: Downtown Phoenix - upper-upscale full-service hotel near the convention center; Downtown Phoenix - midscale business hotel; Sky Harbor airport area - select-service hotel.
Ride-hail: Uber and Lyft both operate across metro Phoenix. At Sky Harbor, follow airport signage from baggage claim to the designated rideshare pickup zone; at the convention center, use the marked passenger-loading curbs rather than flagging a car mid-block. Expect approximately USD 15-28 for a downtown trip in standard tier, higher during surge periods around session start and end times. Confirm the pickup pin before requesting, since large venues have multiple entrances.
Public transit: Valley Metro Rail runs through downtown Phoenix with stations on Washington Street within a short walk of the convention center, connecting the light rail corridor, downtown hotels and the airport via the free PHX Sky Train link at 44th Street station. Fares are approximately USD 2.00 for a single ride and about USD 4.00 for an all-day pass; buy from station machines or the Valley Metro app. Local bus routes fill the gaps outside the rail line but are slower. Check the Valley Metro trip planner for current timetables and any service changes before relying on a late-evening connection.
Parking: Parking garages serve the Phoenix Convention Center complex and the surrounding downtown blocks, with typical event-day rates around USD 15-25; rates vary by garage, day and event. Arrive early on the first morning, as the closest garages fill during large sessions. Pre-book where the operator offers it, and note the garage height restrictions if you are driving a large vehicle. If your hotel is downtown, leaving the car parked and walking is usually faster than repositioning between sessions.
Weather
Plan and pack for the event climate.
Month: December 2026 (early meteorological winter in the Sonoran Desert)
Temperature: Daytime highs around 18-20 C (65-68 F); overnight lows around 6-9 C (43-48 F)
Seasonality: December is one of the driest months in Phoenix, with rain on only a few days in a typical year and low humidity. Mornings and evenings are noticeably cool, and indoor session rooms are heavily air-conditioned, so temperature swings between outside and inside are the main thing to plan for.
Packing: Pack business casual layers: short-sleeve shirts or blouses for daytime, plus a light jacket, cardigan or blazer for cool evenings and cold session rooms. Comfortable walking shoes matter for convention center distances. Add sunglasses, a refillable water bottle, sunscreen and lip balm for the dry desert air, and a compact umbrella only if your forecast turns wet close to travel.
Plan your trip
Planning
Best day to visit: Day 2 (mid-show)
Mid-show days at IHI Forum 2026 usually combine full exhibitor attendance with scheduled B2B meetings, before early pack-down on the final day.
T-1
Confirm your registration tier and payment - the listing shows a General Conference Fee of USD 1,395 - and check whether any pre-conference session needs separate booking on the IHI registration page.
T-2
Book flights into Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX) and aim to land the afternoon before your first session so a delay does not cost you the opening.
T-3
Reserve a downtown Phoenix hotel within walking distance of the convention center, or a select-service option near the airport if budget is the priority.
T-4
Check passport validity (six months beyond travel) and confirm your ESTA approval or B-1 visa status if travelling from outside the United States.
T-5
Ask your finance or education team whether the conference fee and travel are reimbursable, and keep the registration receipt for your expense claim.
T-6
Open the schedule at events.ihi.org/forum/schedule and shortlist 6-10 sessions across your two or three priority topics, noting clashes now rather than on site.
T-7
Agree handover coverage with your team for the days you are away, and name a single person who can reach you for urgent clinical or operational decisions.
T-8
Pack for mild desert days and cool evenings: business casual layers, a light jacket for cold session rooms, and comfortable shoes for convention center walking.
T-9
Decide your airport transfer: rideshare or taxi at approximately USD 15-30, or the free PHX Sky Train plus Valley Metro Rail for about USD 2 per ride.
T-10
Note the continuing education credit requirements for your profession and check what attendance verification IHI provides, so you do not lose credits on a technicality.
T-11
Download the event app or mobile schedule, save your shortlist offline, and screenshot your registration confirmation in case Wi-Fi is slow at the venue.
T-12
Check in online for your flights, print or load boarding passes, and confirm your hotel check-in time and any early check-in request.
T-13
Prepare two questions you want answered by presenters or peers, and write down the measures your own team is currently tracking so you can compare approaches.
T-14
Arrive, hydrate (Phoenix air is dry), walk the route to the convention center, and locate registration and your first session room before the morning rush.
T-15
Collect your badge early, attend the opening session for framing, and introduce yourself to at least three people working on the same improvement problem.
T-16
Write a one-page summary of changes worth testing at home, and book a debrief with your team within a week of returning so the ideas do not stall.
Sample visitor itinerary
Route-optimised day
Day 1 · morning
Registration and hall orientation at Phoenix Convention Center
Day 2 · core sessions
Supplier meetings and product demos
Day 3 · wrap-up
Final negotiations and follow-up
Networking spots
2IHI Forum 2026 registration concourse
Phoenix Convention Center
Central meeting point before and between hall appointments during show days.
Organiser B2B lounge (if offered)
Phoenix Convention Center
Hosted matchmaking and buyer programmes when published by the organiser.
Budget
Costs & budget
Build your working budget
Adjust the inputs below to create a directional event budget.
Estimated budget
Live estimate
- Hotel × 2 nights$210.00
- Per diem × 2$150.00
Estimated total$360.00
This is a directional estimate. Please verify live rates before booking.
Cost reference
Official cost items and estimated ranges for exhibitors.
visitor_ticket
visitor · General admission
USD 1395 / per person
organiser_published
| Item | For | Tier | Estimated range | Status | As of |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| visitor_ticket | visitor | General admission | USD 1395 / per person | organiser_published |
Decision
Visit, exhibit, or skip?
Should you go?
Use this quick check to decide whether IHI Forum 2026 fits your visit, exhibit or skip plan.
QUESTION 1 OF 6
For IHI Forum 2026, what is your primary role on the show floor?
Decision matrix
Compare participation options side by side to choose the best fit for your objectives.
visit
Your category focus and target suppliers align with the official exhibitor profile.
Best for
Buyers, engineers, and delegates sourcing Healthcare Conference solutions and benchmarking suppliers at IHI Forum 2026 in Phoenix.
Min. budget
$1,865.00
Timeline
4-8 weeks before opening day for registration, hotels, and travel.
Risks
Session times and ticket tiers may change - confirm the official agenda before booking.
exhibit
You have a defined lead-generation or distributor recruitment goal for this market.
Best for
Brands and manufacturers launching Healthcare Conference products who need qualified meetings with the event's trade audience.
Min. budget
$8,392.00
Timeline
3-6 months for stand booking, freight, staffing, and pre-show marketing.
Risks
Booth pricing and corner premiums vary by hall - confirm with the organiser sales team.
skip
Audience, geography, or commercial goals do not justify travel and stand costs this cycle.
Best for
Teams with weak category fit, budget constraints, or overlapping commitments during the Phoenix show week.
Timeline
N/A
Risks
Skipping may mean missing buyer meetings if competitors exhibit or attend the same week.
Gallery
Photos
FAQs & glossary
Answers
Frequently asked
Glossary
- IHI (Institute for Healthcare Improvement)
- The non-profit organization that convenes the IHI Forum and develops improvement methods, campaigns and learning programmes used by health systems worldwide.
- Quality improvement (QI)
- A structured, measurement-based approach to making care safer, more effective, more patient-centred and more efficient, typically run as repeated small tests of change rather than one-off projects.
- Model for Improvement
- A widely used framework built on three questions - what are we trying to accomplish, how will we know a change is an improvement, what changes can we make - and then testing those changes with PDSA cycles.
- PDSA cycle
- Plan-Do-Study-Act: a short, documented test of a change, sized so a team can run it in days rather than months and learn before scaling.
- Run chart
- A time-ordered plot of a measure with a median line, used by improvement teams to see whether a change produced a real shift or ordinary variation.
- Statistical process control (SPC) chart
- A chart with control limits that distinguishes common-cause variation from special-cause signals, often used when improvement work moves from testing to sustaining.
- Balancing measure
- A measure watched alongside the primary improvement measure to check that a change is not creating harm or new burden elsewhere in the system.
- Triple Aim / Quintuple Aim
- Frameworks for judging system performance: better population health, better care experience and lower per-capita cost, with the expanded version adding workforce wellbeing and health equity.
- Patient safety event
- An incident or near miss that reached, or could have reached, a patient - the starting point for the safety reporting, analysis and learning work discussed at the Forum.
- Health equity
- The absence of avoidable, unfair differences in health and care between groups, addressed through targeted improvement work on access, quality and social conditions.
- Social determinants of health
- The conditions where people are born, grow, live, work and age - housing, food, transport, income - that shape care outcomes and that many Forum sessions address through community partnerships.
- Joy in Work
- An improvement framing that treats staff burnout and moral injury as system design problems, addressed with the same measurement and testing discipline as clinical quality.
- Age-Friendly Health Systems (4Ms)
- A care model built around What Matters, Medication, Mentation and Mobility for older adults, used by many systems as a structured improvement framework.
- Care bundle
- A small set of evidence-based practices that, delivered together and reliably, improve outcomes more than any single element alone.
- Learning collaborative
- A time-limited programme in which teams from multiple organizations learn a method, test changes between sessions and report data back to the group.
- Spread and scale
- The deliberate work of moving a tested change from one unit or site to many, with attention to context, fidelity and local adaptation.
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Also known as
Alternate names and search phrases for this event.
- healthcare improvement conference
- Phoenix healthcare events
- IHI events 2026
- IHI Forum 2026 Phoenix
- IHI Forum Phoenix 2026
- IHI 2026
- IHI Phoenix 2026
- Phoenix United States
- Healthcare Conference Phoenix 2026
- Healthcare Conference In-Person Phoenix
Digital business cards for the show floor
Display a free company card at your booth, or share your professional card on the show floor.